France: Government clarifies terms of loans to provide relief to farmers

The government clarified on Friday the terms of the loans that farmers in difficulty will be able to apply for, a pressing request from trade unions that welcomed the measures while demanding their "urgent" implementation. Two systems will be set up in the form of loans distributed by banks wishing to participate, the Ministry of Agriculture said in a press release as the agricultural world prepares to launch a vast mobilization in the name of its survival. Announcements that "undoubtedly go in the right direction", reacted the leading union of the profession, the FNSEA, and Jeunes Agriculteurs in a joint press release. According to the ministry, a first system is designed to deal with cyclical difficulties (climatic or health hazards), in the form of medium-term loans capped at 50,000 euros per farm. Farmers who have lost at least 20% of their turnover in 2024 compared to their historical reference average will be eligible. "Thanks to a shared effort between the lending bank and ...